1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to waterfall units for pools and spas and more particularly to waterfall units generating an illuminated waterfall.
2. Description of the Related Art
Reservoirs of water such as pools, spas, hot tubs, bath tubs and the like (collectively referred to as xe2x80x9cspasxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cspaxe2x80x9d) can be constructed with one or more waterfall units that provide a waterfall running from the spa""s edge to the surface of the water below. The waterfall is visually appealing and provides a soothing sound. Conventional waterfall units are connected to the water supply from the spa""s plumbing and have internal baffling structures that convert the relatively turbulent water from the plumbing to a smooth laminar flow appropriate for a waterfall. Most of the waterfall unit is behind the wall of the spa where it is connected to the spa""s plumbing. The only visible portion is its outlet.
Various waterfall units have been developed for use in spas. U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,280 to Lesikar discloses a waterfall unit that is mounted on the spa""s edge and produces a smooth sheet of water that is directed away from the side of the spa to the water below. U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,744 to Ruthenburg also discloses a waterfall unit with an internal baffling structure that divides the incoming stream into two laterally flowing streams that reflect off the side walls of the unit and collide with each other, removing most of the turbulence. Jandy(copyright) Industries also produces a series of spa waterfalls called Sheer Descent(copyright) Falls, with the waterfall taking the form of either rain, a curtain, or an arc, depending on the chosen model.
Spas are usually constructed with one or more light sources that can be both visually appealing and allow for safe use of the spa at night. Conventional lighting units are commonly mounted on the wall of the spa, and comprise a watertight housing containing an incandescent light source. On one side of the housing is an aperture for the power connection, and on the other side is a lens to scatter, direct or focus the light from the light source. This type of spa lighting is illustrated in Waterway Plastics Inc., 1999 Product Catalog, Spa Products, Page 31. A number of variations to the conventional spa light have been developed, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,617,615 to Eychaner, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,936 to Guthrie, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,875 to Johnson.
With the increased popularity of spa waterfalls, efforts have been made to develop units wherein the water emitted from the horizontal spillway is illuminated. This would make the waterfalls visually appealing at night, particularly if the color of the illumination can be varied.
Polaris Inc. has developed an illuminated waterfall unit. The unit contains a cylindrical acrylic rod that runs the unit""s longitudinal length, parallel to the horizontal spillway. A bundle of optical fibers passes light from a source into the rod. The rod is scored at intervals along its length so light passing through it scatters and emits from its side surface.
The Polaris waterfall unit, including its spillway and internal baffling structures, are made of non-transparent, water impervious plastic such as ABS. The rod is positioned so that the spillway blocks its light from illuminating the waterfall. To address this problem, reflective surfaces are provided on the inside surfaces of the unit""s body to reflect light from the rod onto the spillway outlet to illuminate the waterfall.
One disadvantage of the Polaris unit is that it is relatively inefficient in illuminating the waterfall. Only a portion of the light reaches the waterfall. Also, some of the reflected light is absorbed or scattered by the water, further reducing the efficiency. Another disadvantage is that the Polaris unit requires a separate bundle of optical fibers for each unit. Illuminating multiple waterfall units in the entire spa can require a prohibitive number of optical fibers. Also, the optical fiber bundle requires the acrylic rod to be relatively thick and it can interfere with the flow of water through the unit.
The present invention provides a spa waterfall unit with improved illumination of the waterfall emitted from the unit""s outlet. A portion of the unit""s outlet is transparent and light from within the unit passes through the transparent portion. The light transmitting through the transparent portion and the light passing directly out the outlet combines to illuminate the unit""s waterfall.
The new unit generally comprises a manifold body having a water inlet that allows water into the body and a water outlet for water to pass out of the body. A portion of the outlet is transparent and forms the water flowing from the body into a waterfall. An external light guide is arranged to transmit light from a light source to the manifold body. A probe is positioned within the body to transmit light from the light guide into the transparent portion of the outlet. The light passing through the transparent portion and light from the probe illuminate the water flowing from the outlet.
In one embodiment, the new waterfall unit consists of a tubular shaped manifold body with a water inlet, which receives water from the spa""s plumbing system. The water turbulence is removed by internal baffles that the water passes as it fills the body. The body""s outlet is in the form of a longitudinal spillway, with a transparent outlet fitting mounted within the spillway to form the water running out of the outlet into a waterfall. As water fills the body, it spills through the outlet fitting in the form of a waterfall. Depending on the outlet fitting used, different types of waterfalls can be formed, including a clear laminar sheet, rain drops, arc, fountain, double arc, pulsating, or any combination thereof.
The internal probe is elongated and is positioned longitudinally in the manifold body, behind the transparent outlet fitting. The preferred external light guide is an optical fiber that transmits light from the light source to the probe, with the light emitting primarily from the end of the optical fiber. A portion of the probe""s light passes through the transparent outlet cap.
The new waterfall unit is more efficient than previous units in illuminating its waterfall. By making the outlet cap transparent, the light does not have to be reflected within the manifold body to contribute to the waterfall illumination. Less of the light will be scattered and absorbed. The outlet cap transmits and guides the light from the probe in the direction of the waterfall allowing more of the probe""s light to illuminate the waterfall. Because of its efficient illumination, the waterfall unit can operate with only a single optical fiber, rather than a fiber bundle. This significantly reduces the total number of fibers needed to illuminate multiple waterfall units in a spa, reducing the spas cost and complexity. Use of a single fiber also allows the probe to be narrow and thus reduces interference with the flow of water through the body.
These and further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: